When bashfulness is no longer cute...

I can recall being a shy kid that rarely spoke unless spoken to. My teachers loved me for this attribute so I was always the child selected to win prizes and whenever we had a substitute, I was labeled as "well-behaved." But I've recently come to realize that I wasn't as well-behaved as I was quiet. I wasn't quiet because I was a quiet person, I was quiet because I was too shy to speak. To others, it was cute that I wasn't adamant about getting my point across as a child. I was content just sitting in class and doing my work. I'd prefer to save my questions to ask the teacher in private. They never seemed to mind. My shyness helped me get away with a lot of things, but it also prohibited me from getting as involved in many interesting school activities. With this as the case, I attempted to alter my shy trait during my last couple years of high school. I did this because I began to realize that closed mouths didn't get fed. If I wanted to "be somebody" others had to know my intentions. I had improved so much by the time I entered college that I was able to persuade people to vote for me and I became Freshman Class President of Texas Southern University. I've since gotten involved in many other activities that show that I am no longer that shy, quiet girl that I once was. Unfortunately, my new found confidence hasn't made it's way to my social life. I still find myself being quiet in public settings that don't involve my education or employment. Don't dare ask me how this affects my dating life. It's ridiculous how difficult it is for me to approach my crush. At my age, should I still be crushing? I mean, one should get to a point where they're comfortable letting another know that they have taken interest in them and would like to pursue a relationship or whatever. However, I can't see myself doing this anytime soon...

The purpose of this post is to get your thoughts on the issue at hand. Is it cute for a person to be shy? Or is it a turnoff? When you reach a certain age, it's crucial to be able to express your thoughts. But at what point does being mouthy become too much? Is there a difference when considering bashfulness between males and females? Is there a fine line between being meek and downright insecure? Being shy can be classified as a "cute" trait for a young child, but when is it no longer cute?

Thanks for reading,

Alexandria B.